By Jason Kim: Juan Manuel Marquez (49-4-1, 36 KOs) is hoping to keep the pressure on Manny Pacquiao by defeating Juan Diaz (34-1, 17 KOs) in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBA/WBO lightweight titles at the Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. Marquez, 35, was defeated by Pacquiao by a 12-round split decision in March, and Juan would like nothing better than to get another shot against Pacquiao if possible.
Rocky Juarez
Froch vs. Taylor In Connecticut; John vs. Juarez This Saturday – News
By Manuel Perez: It looks as if World Boxing Council super middleweight champion Carl Froch (24-0, 19 KOs) has finally got a location for his April 25th title defense against former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. The bout will be taking place at the Foxwoods resort in Connecticut rather than England.
Froch, 31, is coming off a grueling 12-round decision over Jean Pascal in December in an exciting fight that pretty much placed Froch on the boxing map, at least as far as fans in the U.S. are concerned.
Perez-Favela, Diaz-Marquez, John-Juarez, More – News
Making his way back to the ring February 28, 2009 on the Juan Manuel Marquez vs Juan Diaz card, will be Philadelphia’s undefeated hard hitting Jr. Welterweight prospect, Danny “Swift” Garcia (10-0, 7 KOs). Garcia will face Cristian Favela of Los Mochis, SI Mexico in a scheduled eight round bout at the Toyota Center in Houston TX.
Juarez Stops Barrios
By Manuel Perez: Coming into the fight having lost three out of his last five fights, super featherweight contender Rocky Juarez(28-4, 20 KOs) stopped Jorge Rodrigo Barrios (47-4-1, 34 KOs) in the 11th round on Saturday night at the Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. Ranked #6 in the World Boxing Council super featherweight division, Juarez dropped Barrios, 32, with a left hand in the 11th round. After Barrios got up, however, his mouth was badly bleeding from a lacerated upper lip.
After the ringside doctor examined the cut and deemed that it was too serious for the fight to continue, referee Rafael Ramos stopped the fight at 2:55 of the 11th round. The fight, though, was marred by two one-point deductions made against Barrios for landing low blows – once in the 3rd and the other in the 9th – on the belt line of Juarez. The calls were silly and uncalled for in my estimation because Juarez was wearing his trunks up high, making it nearly impossible to hit him in the midsection without hitting him on the belt line like Barrios was doing. The second point deduction in the 9th seemed to change the fight, as before that Barrios was dominating the fight and looking to be on the way to winning it rather easily.